Thinking About Educating for the Future - Part 2

There are 3 main themes that I think need to be addressed in order for schools to advance into the future and provide students with an education that is relevant to their lives and to their future. They are all follows:

1. Allow for the integration of technology into our schools

This is a characteristic that I find extremely important, for there are a large number of technologies that are highly beneficial to student learning, yet are banned or not incorporated into the classroom. An example given in Chapter 10 is the usage of Youtube. Many school districts ban the use of Youtube, yet it is highly beneficial to the classroom. I can personally attest to this, as my district allows the usage of Youtube, and more than half of my historical video clips now come from that source. Additionally the usage of cell phones, Ipods, social networking sites, and so forth, all have a large benefit in being used in the classroom. There are a variety of different strategies that can be implemented so that these technologies are not a distraction, but rather a learning tool. There are technologies that can even allow students to communicate with other students around the globe! These are the technologies our students connect with and use on a daily basis, so why wouldn't we promote their usage in learning? Schools need to take a step back and reanalyze their goals. All of these technologies will most likely be needed in these students' future - why not give them the necessary skills to use them for "good"?

2. Nonstandardized Assessments

I am a firm believer in providing alternative assessments in the classroom. Not all students are good test takers, and simple regurgatations on tests will never allow them to develop the skills they need to be successful in their future. Instead, we should be preparing students to think outside the box and learn that unexpected questions and problems will inevitably come their way throughout life and they need to be prepared to handle those kinds of situations. By giving nonstandardized assessments, students develop the ability to handle the unknown, think on the spot, and develop a solution. This kind of assessment would be a part of Quadrant D on the Rigor and Relevance Scale of Blooms Taxonomy, the quadrant that promotes higher order thinking skills. A simple teach to the test approach would not come close to the quality of instruction provided in Quadrant D. I personally feel that all districts should promote teachers being in Quadrant D as much as possible. My district does, and we have had excellent results (there is a reason we are one of the top school districts in the state). Building upon this approach will only allow for students to obtain even higher achievements.

3. Focusing on both Individual and Team Results

For too long, our schools have promoted competition among individual students: class rank, individualized testing, individual papers, etc. However, when we truly think about it, there are very few professions where people do not need to work with other coworkers to some degree. Even as educators, we are constantly reminded that we should be working in professional learning communities (PLCs) to work collaboratively in providing our students with a better education. Why is it, then, that we do not promote the same collaborative learning in the classroom? Why do we still focus on the individual rather than the group? Our jobs as educators is to prepare students for the real world, and in order to do that we need to allow for both individual AND team results. In the work force, "performance will be measured not by the success of the individual, but by the success of the team, perhaps a multinational team with members spanning the globe." (Bellanca & Brandt, 310). As good educators, we need to strive to show our students that teamwork and collaboration are the key to success.

I have heard many times over again throughout my college and professional career that schools lag very far behind when it comes to technology and solid educational practices. As advanced as technology and research may be, schools are typically three steps behind. It is time that we, the educators, seize the reigns and do what it is we set out to do: provide our students with the best possible education our world has to offer.

#7 Slide Deck Feedback

I presented a presentation on the chronology of Western Civilization, starting with the Classical Era and working it's way up to the modern world (essentially 4,000 years of history). The feedback I received on my open topic slide deck was not any kind of an eye opening experience. I received simple comments that stated that I knew my content well, the slides were nice to look at and were very "Zen-Like" and everyone enjoyed my overall presentation. I felt as though I did a good job and worked very hard to make what I felt was a Zen presentation, and I definitely felt that the feedback that I received fortified my beliefs.

Reaction to Links

The New Learning Institute presents an extremely compelling argument as to how educators can improve the learning process. They assert that today’s classrooms lag far behind the everyday experiences of students, for relevant technology is not present in their educational experiences. This, in turn, produces students that are less prepared to handle the increasing technological expectations of the modern world. The answer provided for this problem is that both educators and students need to be trained in the skills needed to explore technology.

I strongly agree with this idea, and actively promote the utilization of technology in all of the courses I teach. In fact, a large majority of my activities revolve around technology in some shape or form. The integration of technology starts with training the teachers, for they need to be knowledgeable on how to instruct the students and ignite student interest. Once the teachers have a firm understanding of these skills, they can make their classrooms come alive. I firmly agree that the utilization of technology can allow classes to be more relevant to students, more student centered, and will allow students in turn to take control of their own learning. This can get the students used to the idea that they are not just the consumers of technological media, but also the creators as well. Considering this is how I consistently attempt to structure my classroom, it strongly relates to my teaching methods definitely something I consider to be of high priority.

Some examples of activities are text message scavenger hunts that students can follow in museums, creating digital media projects and publishing them to a worldwide audience, and incorporating other digital technologies such as social networking to utilize and develop problem solving skills. This allows students to learn in a student centered environment where they can investigate what interests them and gain a feeling of accomplishment and self worth when they are producing and publishing their digital media. Teachers would receive professional development to provide a knowledge base for utilizing this form of instruction, thus enabling them to be the facilitators for these extremely effective instructional strategies.

In terms of 21^st century skills, this relates a great deal, for one of the key components is incorporating technology into the classroom to make our students more prepared for the future. This school has grasped that concept, and is working towards accomplishing that goal. Unfortunately, many schools lag behind in this area, which is why it is so incredibly critical to push towards all schools ultimately incorporating these 21^st century skills within their classrooms as well.

Links for Class #6

http://newlearninginstitute.org/digital-media-programs/index.html

Blooming Questions

How did the Blooming Questions activity demonstrate 21^st century approaches to education?

The activity allowed me to utilize critical thinking skills, and deeply analyze better approaches to utilize in the classroom. These approaches will allow the students to be more successful as future citizens and in the work force one day. We, as teachers, need to be proactive to enhance our lessons with new technologies and other ideas that will only serve to better teach the necessary skills that students need in the future.

How could it have been structured more effectively?

I feel as though time-wise the activity was not efficient enough. We were not given any time limits, and some groups (such as mine) were sitting around waiting while other groups continued to feverishly discuss the questions. While I do value the role discussion has in the learning process, I also believe that every student should always have something meaningful to do in class at all times, and our group did not receive that.

What was this activity like for you and what did you get out of it?

I felt that the activity gave me a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with my classmates on different budding ideas in the educational world. I value the time that I get to collaborate with other teachers, as I feel everyone has something meaningful to share. I was able to understand other viewpoints on the different topics, and it broadened my horizons on the overall subject matter.

What are the connections with this activity and educational leadership?

Part of being an effective supervisor/administrator is to be successful in creating professional learning communities. This activity successfully created PLCs, and allowed us to work together to create a solid final product. Additionally, as was mentioned in class, as an administrator, clarity is key. When one group did not understand the terminology another group used, they asked for clarification. An administrator must be open to do that as well.  As a whole, an administrator needs to be an effective communicator, and this activity forced us to do just that.

Week 3 Homework Post - Preparing Students for the 21st Century

After reading both chapters and watching the video, it became inherently clear just how crucial technology is in the learning process for students of all ages. One particular element that took me by surprise was how quickly the children of India acquired computer literacy skills, even with limited access to the actual computer. Mitra made it very obvious that children can easily self instruct themselves in basic computer literacy skills, even overcoming language barriers, as long as they have access to a computer. He stated that the children of the remote communities could learn all the computer basics simply by watching each other and exploring through hands on, trial and error endeavors.

At first I found this process of self instruction to be amazing; however, upon second thought, I realized I had gone through a similar experience as a student. As a high school student, Microsoft Office was growing in popularity in the educational world. I had never been exposed to power point until my sophomore year of high school, when I was thrown into a “sink or swim” situation where we were required to use the program in a group project. Through my own self instruction, I figured out exactly how to use the program. To this day, I have never received any formal instruction in power point, yet I am extremely proficient in it and use it as a primary tool for my classroom instruction. The forward of 21^st Century Skills written by Ken Kay reinforced this belief. He states that “it is more likely that young people pick up these skills by chance in everyday living and job experiences and, yes, sometimes in school – if they are lucky enough to have good mentors or are astute enough to recognize and build these skills on their own” (Kay, xx).

One point discussed that I strongly agree with is that as educators, we need to develop a rigorous and demanding curriculum that focuses equally on content and skills. Unfortunately, the current climate of education does not foster this belief, as many politicians and members of the business world are consistently pushing towards the “teach to the test” method, a highly ineffective, bureaucratic practice that hinders student performance. I personally stray away from this awful teaching practice, and push towards the higher order thinking lessons, as I strongly believe that it is my job as an educator to prepare students for the real world one day.

Another aspect of the reading I strongly agree with is utilizing social networks as a learning tool. I actively promote this in my classroom, and use a variety of technologies to support my in-class instruction. Sites such as youtube, turnitin.com, moodle and oncourse (just to name a few) are regularly used in my classroom. I hold online scored discussions, give online quizzes, maintain a website filled with a variety of student resources and even assign video projects that the students must post to youtube. All of these technologies enhance the classroom experience, and help the students acquire the 21^st century skills that will enable them to be successful adults in the work force one day.

Thinking About Educating for the Future - Part 1

In order to maximize student achievement in the future, it is essential for teachers/supervisors/administrators to incorporate new technological trends into the classroom.

One thing in particular that needs to change is to allow students to have more computer access during the school day. In this day and age, students’ lives revolve around a computer, and it would be a wonderful thing to allow students to participate in class through computers, ultimately having a laptop for each child. Handouts could be posted to a course website prior to the start of class and the students could access them, as well as power points and other tools/resources before class begins.  Classes could be paperless, thus enabling the district to be more “green”. This would allow for more student participation, and would make the content of the curriculum more relevant to them and their interests.

Testing strategies also need to significantly change, as the current bureaucratic method of standardized testing is largely ineffective. Technology can assist in this process, as incorporating it into the classroom can allow for a variety of differentiated assessments. Using sites such as Moodle and Turnitin.com, students can discuss topics, take quizzes, self-correct their work, and better understand the content.  Utilizing this kind of technology takes the pressure off the assessment, as the students can work on their assignments at their leisure, from the comfort of their own home. It gives them the opportunity to feel prepared, and they don’t have to worry about feeling self conscious in front of their peers. They also have the ability to learn in the style that works best for them. Additionally, the class can access documents which can be used during class time, which as mentioned in the previous paragraph, can help students better prepare for classes and make the district more “green”.

A third characteristic that will have to be changed is training teachers in technology. Currently, many students know more about technology than their teachers. If a teacher is “out of the loop”, there is no way they can reach the students in a way that the assignment will be relevant to them and their lives. Professional development in technology needs to be offered to teachers who both desire and need the assistance so they can be more effective educators.

All of these changes are significantly important, as they seek to improve the quality of education we are providing to our students. Technology can do this, but as educators, we need to allow these changes to take place before we can make the content relevant to our students.